Puzzle 2: Yesterday
by Kenjaje
Summary: Stitch greets a new day, a very new day. Yesterday happens differently than he remembers, according to Angel, who dismisses his account as a dream. She tries to help him relax, but the constant awareness that something is wrong keeps his mind alert.
1. Morrow

A Puzzle of Missing Pieces

Side Piece: Yesterday

©/By: Kenjaje

E/R: Tsuki Akurei

Chapter 1: Morrow

Stitch's ears twitched in the warm sunlight; his mind stirred. He opened his eyes. _"When did I fall asleep?" _He rubbed at the sand in his eyes and yawned; he looked around the sunlit room. Lilo's bed was empty. He turned his head from it. The place was clean—too clean. _"Maybe it was Pleakly," _he thought. Finally he turned to Angel's bed. She slept soundly with her hands under her pillow and her chin nuzzling the blankets that covered her.

He climbed out of his bed and slowly made his way to her bed's side. His feet stepped softly on the carpet; they were warmed as he passed into a square of sunlight. His toes popped once or twice on his way, and once he finally reached bedside, his ankle cracked the loudest. He gazed at Angel for a few moments, watching her peaceful slumber. She moved, her feet shifting underneath the covers, and pulled her right hand out from under the pillow. Her face was lost in dreams, and donned a slumbering frown.

He placed his hands on the side of her bed, and guided his lips to her cheek. He kissed her for a second's length, and moved back. Her eye twitched, and her nose wiggled and sniffed. Her mouth parted, and her head turned up just a little bit. She gazed in Stitch's direction, but had to block the light from behind her in order to actually see him. He smiled back at her.

"Good morning, Angel," he said. Angel smiled shyly; she knew what the shivers in her stomach and the tingling on her cheek meant.

"Good morning," she replied, leaning on her left arm. Stitch blinked.

"Say…again?"

"Good morning, Stitch," she repeated confusedly. "What is wrong?"

"Why Angel speak…?" Stitch tiled his head, dropping an ear.

"Why _miga _speak English?" Stitch nodded his head, "_Ju naga _remember? _Miga _wanted learn so Lilo understand _miga _better." She smiled and sat up, her legs dangling over the side of the bed. "_Miga _breath bad?"

"_Naga_," He replied, hopping onto the bed next to her, "When Angel decide?"

"_Miga _start yesterday, remember?" She put a hand on his. "Then why…not kiss _miga…_" Stitch blinked; he didn't understand what she was saying.

"_Gabaju ikasha_?" Angel blushed; Stitch blinked.

"Yesterday," she looked at him and said, "_ju _kiss _miga _hand…today, cheek…" she looked straight ahead, "Tomorrow…" her words trailed, she looked down with a blush and gently kicked her feet. After a pause, Stitch repeated,

"Tomorrow…_gaba_?" Another second's-length pause, and then Angel looked back at him and shrugged.

"_Naga tukka_," she said hastily, "_Gabaju _breakfast?" She said, hopping off the bed.

"What Stitch breakfast?" Stitch repeated, translating her words literally.

"_Naga_, _gabaju_…_kashta_?"

"What Stitch want?" She nodded. "_Naga nota…_Actually, Stitch want see Lilo." Angel tilted her head.

"_Gabisha_; misses Lilo already?"

"Miss? Why Stitch miss?" He asked. Angel smiled at him.

"Stitch _naga _stand Lilo go camp?" She cooed, leaning against the bed on her elbows, looking up at him.

"Camp?"

"_Ih_, Lilo go on camp for dances class. Called…field trip?" Angel asked herself, "_Ih_, field-trip." She said assuredly. "Lilo leaves yesterday. Stitch very forgetful." Stitch shook his head.

"_Naga_," Stitch said, "Lilo _here, _Jumba ship," he pointed outside. "Lilo _naga _able go, Lilo _hurt_." Angel tilted her head again. "What Angel pull? Is _naga _joke, _oketaka._ Stitch remember yesterday," he said, hopping off the bed. "Stitch…hurt Lilo," he recalled somberly, "and when all get back, Jumba shoot Zeus…but Stitch get in way—" His ears pulsed. "_Ih_, and Stitch stop! Stitch hurt hand, _rukasa_!" He displayed his right hand to Angel.

"Hand fine," she said, glancing over it. Stitch blinked, and looked down at it. He curled his fingers together, bawling a fist, and extended them out again. His palm was fine—but in his mind he could see the charred skin. His hand couldn't heal _that _fast—he could swear he was telling the truth. He looked around, and spotted the toy chest. "Stitch?" He ran to the toy chest and opened it up. Shuffling through the toys, throwing them all around, he finally found a baseball. "_Hey! I just cleaned this room yesterday!_" She said, reverting back to her own tongue. Stitch pointed at the ball, grunting, trying to get her to understand. "Oh, _miga _understand; toss to _miga._" Stitch smiled eagerly and gently tossed it to her. She held it in her hand, tossing it up and catching it. "_Ju _want play 'catch'." She said; Stitch blinked.

"Huh?"

"_Catch!_" Angel lobbed the ball at him; Stitch saw a flash of light as the ball collided with his head.

"Ow! _Gabaju tukka!_" He said, rubbing his head; the ball rolled to the side. He picked it up again and held it up in his left hand, pointing at it. "Ball plasma," he said, and held up his right hand. He emulated the action of his hand grabbing the plasma ball, using sound-effects. "_Ih?_" Angel looked at him for a second, and then something clicked in her expression.

"Oh, _miga _understand; toss to _miga._" Stitch smiled eagerly and gently tossed it to her. She held it in her hand, tossing it up and catching it. "_Ju _want play 'catch'." She said; Stitch blinked.

"Huh?"

"_Catch!"_ Angel lobbed the ball at him; Stitch saw a flash of light as the ball collided with his head.

"Ow! _Gabaju…_" Stitch froze in his words—a sudden case of déjà vu hit him as he rubbed his head and watched the ball roll to the side, "_tukka?_" He finished his words. He picked up the ball, and stared at it for a second. _"Did that just happen…twice?" _

"Stitch _oketaka_?" Angel asked, walking over to him. She took his hand and ripped the ball from his focus; he turned toward her. She stared into his eyes with a kind expression.

"Angel crazy," he said. "Lilo in Jumba ship." Angel wrinkled her forehead.

"_Ju_ cute when wake _miga _with kiss, now _jusa _just mean." Stitch sighed.

"_Oketaka, miga soka_," he said, and took her hand. "Come, Stitch show. Lilo not leave yesterday, Lilo on Jumba ship."

"Stitch, _miga _tells you, Lilo camp. _Miga naga _lies." She countered his grip. "Maybe _jusa _just hungry, _ih_?" Stitch looked down at his stomach. It started to rumble.

"_Ih_…" he admitted.

"Sees? _Miga _make _ju _breakfast…then go to Jumba ship. _Miga _show _ju _Lilo not there." Stitch reluctantly agreed. "Follows!" She exclaimed, and ran to the elevator. It started to go down, and he pounced through the hole and landed on the platform just as she slipped out of the opening. He chased after her. The hall was empty as he ran.

_"Wow, she's fast today," _he thought, as he turned left down the stairs. He hovered over the corners of the steps as he ran, trying to glimpse her running into the kitchen—but he didn't see anything. _"Is she already there?" _He hopped over the railing near the bottom and ran into the kitchen—empty. "Huh?"

"_Look out!_" Stitch turned—Angel slammed into him. "_Soka…_" she said, looking down at him. The sun in the window blared in his eyes, once they regained focus, and he saw her get up and extend a hand to help him. He took it with his right—and snapped it back. "_Gaba _wrong?" She asked. he looked at his palm.

"_Nagato_," he said, and got up himself. She dropped her hand almost disappointedly.

"_You win,_" She said, looking down and to the side. "_Soka _bumps." She said.

"_Isa oketaka,_" he replied. "Stitch thought Angel first though…" She shook her head.

"_Ju _much fastest. _Miga naga _chance."

"But…Angel went first," he said. Angel shook her head.

"_Naga, ju iba_." She retorted. "_Ju _win, _miga _makeses breakfast. Sits," she said, pointing to the table. Stitch shook his head.

"Angel not have make breakfast, Stitch make."

"_Naga_," She said, walking to the cabinet to pull out some peanut butter. "Dealing wases, loser makeses breakfast."

"Stitch _naga _care," he said, grabbing at the jar of peanut butter, labeled _Fij_. Something in the back of his mind was trying to get his attention, but he ignored it. "Stitch make!" He said, pulling the jar toward him.

"_Miga_!" She said, pulling it back. The glared at each other for a moment.

"Stitch!" He pulled

"_Miga_!" She pulled back.

"Stitch!"

"_Miga_!" They both pulled.

"Sti-tch!" He said, clamping his claws around the jar.

"_Mi-ga_!" She tried to pull it away.

"Sti—" A loud _crack _hit their ears; both of them flew back in opposite directions. Stitch fell onto his back, his fraction of the jar flying from his hand toward the window; it shattered. Angel slammed against the cabinet, breaking the door in half and wrecking everything inside; her fraction of the jar flipped backward and landed on her face. Stitch recoiled quickly, tending to Angel first. As he approached her, she pulled the broken jar off. Peanut butter covered her face, and a little bit of it dripped from her nose. "_Soka…_" He said sadly, and offered a hand to help her up. She clasped the sides of the cabinet, and pulled herself out. Stitch timidly backed away as she emerged. She walked to the sink and turned the water on. He followed, sort of scared she was angry.

In silence she washed her face off; Stitch glanced at the window. Nani would be furious when she found out about it. That made him uneasy too. Angel shut the water off; Stitch turned his head, and saw small cuts on her face. His eyes pulsed, and he looked at the jar on the ground. Light glinted off the serrated edges. She looked at him silently.

"_Miga oketaka,_" she said rather quietly. Stitch clenched his teeth and wiped a large drop of blood from a deep cut. It smeared across the tips of her pink fur.

"Stitch…get towel…and band-aid." He said with a growl in his under-tone. Before she could stop him, he turned and dashed into the living room and up the stairs. In the bathroom, Stitch looked around—but there were no towels. He went to the closet, which had a note hanging on the handle. _"Washing towels –Pleakly" _Stitch let go of the note and went to the mirror, opening to the cabinet behind. He looked over the contents on the little shelves, and found the box of band-aids. He pulled it out and opened it up, and reached inside—nothing. He flipped it over in his hand and shook it, trying to jar loose one at the bottom. After that failed, he looked inside—empty. He tossed it away and glanced in the cabinet again, but couldn't find another box. He sighed in frustration and shut the mirror.

Grumpily, he made his way down the hall, down the stairs and into the living room. He paused, a little afraid to go back where Angel was. _"She's really angry at me…" _He thought. Finally, he mustered up the courage, and ran into the kitchen—empty. "Huh?"

"_Look out!_" Stitch turned—Angel slammed into him. "_Soka…_" she said, looking down at him. The sun in the window blared in his eyes, once they regained focus, and he saw her get up and extend a hand to help him. He took it with his right—and snapped it back. "_Gaba _wrong?" She asked. He looked at his palm.

"_Nagato_," he said, and got up himself. She dropped her hand almost disappointedly. His eyes pulsed, and his focused snapped to Angel. She looked back, her sorrowful face gazing at him. Something was wrong. He blinked, and finally realized—her cuts were gone. He looked to the window—it was whole.

"_You win,_" She said, looking down and to the side. "_Soka _bumps."

"Angel already—" He looked back at the window, and then back at her. "Angel _oketaka_?"

"_Ih,_" She replied with a smile, "_Miga _fine, _naga_ worrieses." She turned toward the cabinet. "Dealings is dealings; loser makeses breakfast, _miga _losts." Stitch watched as she opened the cabinet—the door wasn't broken. She pulled out the jar of Fij, and opened it up. As she went to get a knife, she pointed to the table, "Sits," she said. Stitch heeded.

"How…window…?" He started to ask.

"_Gaba_?" She asked him. He shook his head.

"_Naga tukka…_" He replied. His head started to buzz. What was going on?

"_Ju naga _looks so good," She said, walking to the table and petting his head. "_Ju _fine yesterday, now sick?" Stitch shook his head. "Here," she said, handing him a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich. He blinked—he didn't even see her get the jelly out. He looked at the counter; it was bare. "Eats," she said, catching his attention again. He looked at her, and then at the sandwich.

"Angel not eat?" He said, noting only one sandwich.

"_Miga naga onubro._" She replied. Stitch took the sandwich and tore it in half. He wolfed down one half and gave the other to Angel. She looked at him, and started to say something, but then closed her lips and took the morsel. She ate it almost as fast as he did—two bites to his one.

"Oketaka," he said, turning toward the door. "Stitch eat, now Stitch go Jumba ship."

"_Miga _tells you, Lilo camp," She replied. "But…if needs to, comes." She said, walking to the door. Stitch hopped out of his chair and followed her. They made their way down the quick trail to Jumba's ship. As they approached, Angel moved to the side and let Stitch open the hatch to get in. She followed his lead as he walked up the ramp. He turned to the right, and opened the door. She followed. He went into the cramped hallway, and turned to the left. Two doors were juxtaposed at the back of the hall. Above the one on the left was the number one, and on the right the number two. Stitch went to the second door, on the opposite side. Angel stopped in front of the door.

"Lilo in here," he said.

"_That's the medical bay,_" Angel commented. "_Why do you think she's—_"

"_Taka!_" He exclaimed, and opened the door.


	2. Date

A Puzzle of Missing Pieces

Side Piece: Yesterday

©/By: Kenjaje

E/R: Tsuki Akurei

Chapter 2: Date

Stitch stared into the empty room. He stepped inside, and looked around at the cart and all the machines—blank. He went from that room and opened the door to the other, bursting inside and glancing around only to find it—empty. His shoulders dropped, and his ears draped forward. Angel's hand rested on his arm. He turned to her.

"Where…?"

"_Miga _tells _ju_; Lilo camp."

"_Naga_," he said, brushing her hand off. "Lilo _here _yesterday. Hurt, because _miga—_" He balked, unable to finish the statement. Angel put her hands on both of his shoulders and squeezed gently.

"_Suga ju oketaka_?" Stitch closed his eyes, and shook his head. "Maybe _jusa _just dreamses. Maybeneed relaxings." She started to massage his shoulders. "Maybe…wants to go somewhere?"

"Go?" He asked, looking back up at her.

"_Ih_," she replied, "_miga _not see island…maybe shows _miga _around will relaxses. Maybe go on…date?" She tilted her head and smiled, a blush forming on her cheeks. His ears started to rise, and she leaned in to kiss him on the nose.

"Date?" She giggled, looking at him indirectly.

"_I've always wanted to see the beach…and Lilo's not going to be back 'till tomorrow evening…_" Stitch blinked; his mouth ajar. She giggled again, and his ears twitched; his face sprang to life.

"Oh…uh, Angel never see?"

"_Naga_," She said with a smile, "_Would you show me_?" Stitch blinked, and glanced at the medical bed. Angel squeezed his shoulders again. "_C'mon, it'll keep your mind off of things for a bit—we'll have a good time and you'll be all relaxed._" She brought him into a hug.

"_Oketaka_," he said, returning her gesture. They held it for a moment, and then she broke free, taking his hand. He followed as she tugged him along, up the trail back to the house, toward the front where the buggy was parked.

"_I can't wait_!" She exclaimed, releasing Stitch and prancing to the passenger door. "_I haven't been outta this house at all,_" she opened the passenger door. Stitch slowly walked to the driver's side, the events of the morning churning in his mind. Something wasn't right; he _knew _Lilo was on Jumba's ship. He looked at it, almost waiting for her to come down the ramp and chase after them. "_Hey, you, get in._" Angel said over the driver's door.

Stitch looked up at her; she looked down at him. He took a couple steps, and looked at the ship again. She opened the door, and reluctantly he climbed inside. He shut the door and pressed a few buttons, and the engine started to rumble.

"_Look booch,_" Angel said, cupping his chin, "_I know you're…not feeling all right, but all I want is to try to make you happy. So just…give it a shot, ok_? _Humor me, please,_" she leaned in, and kissed his cheek. He blinked, and shook his head.

"Kowabunga!" He shouted, and left a cloud of dust behind as he floored the pedal.

"_That's it_!" She said, buckling her belt. She felt a sudden burst of exhilaration; the wind bending her ears, the motor drumming, the sun, shining in the clear blue sky. The beach was in sight after only a few minutes. Angel shielded her eyes to see the crowd of people gathered at the shore. The buggy skidded to a halt and Stitch hopped over the door. He whipped around the front and opened Angel's door just as she had unbuckled. "_Takka_," she thanked, as he helped her down.

The sand was warm on her feet. The salted smell of the air was stronger than ever; it made her sneeze a few times. The wind was constantly in her ears, and drowned out Stitch's blesses. But there was music, and people; Stitch took her hand and walked with her further onto the coastline. She stood closely by him, lacing her fingers with his; she watched the other humans strolling by. She felt out of place, and a little intimidated. She was expecting a little more solitude. But she noticed that there were people like them—couples, walking hand-in-hand or side-by-side. Kids and parents were making sandcastles, young women were sun-tanning and every man with any amount of muscle made his way to the Recreation area.

"_Hey…is that…_?" Angel pointed at the boxing ring; Kixx was sparring an opponent who—by the looks of his scrawny stature—didn't have a chance. "_Let's go say 'hi',_" She said, a bit of comfort falling upon seeing another experiment among the horde of humans.

"_Oketaka_," Stitch said, and he led Angel across the sand. As he did, people stared; Angel felt uncomfortable. She hugged more closely to Stitch and even put his arm around her waist. He looked at her; she hid her anxiety with a smile. They approached the ring with Kixx's match a victory.

"Hey man, you don't have to be _so _tough!" The scrawny man said, rubbing his side.

"_Hut kut choota miga ichit_." Kixx huffed proudly. "_Kitaba_?" He asked, calling for his next opponent. He looked around, and spotted Stitch with Angel. "Ah, Stitch!" He said, hopping over the ropes. He landed in front of them.

"Aloha, Kixx," Stitch said.

"A…loha," Angel copied.

"Angel, _kanta miga shubata._" He said, bowing. Angel smiled at his respectful greeting.

"_How come _you _never bow to me, booch_?" She asked, prodding Stitch's side. He looked at her, and then at Kixx out of the corner of his eye. Kixx grinned smugly.

"_Erga je naga _tana _kwan_." Kixx said, punching Stitch in the arm.

"Stitch man!" Stitch retorted.

"_Ju suga_?" Kixx challenged.

"Hey…_booch…_" Angel tried to get his attention.

"_Ih_! _Miga _more man than Kixx," He said, slamming a fist against his chest.

"_Spena pret_?"

"_Naga_," Angel whispered, grabbing Stitch's arm, "_Don't get into a fight, booch,_"

"_Aspan tut ju tana_; _spena miga._"

"You're on." Stitch brushed Angel's hand aside as Kixx jumped into the ring. Angel tried to stop him but he already leapt toward the ropes. Kixx punched the bell on the side of the ring, and with that the fight started.

Stitch held up his claws, while Kixx cracked his knuckles. They stared each other down for a few moments—watching each other down to the pace of their breath. Strings of tension connected their eyes. Kixx took the offensive; he darted forward. Stitch dodged as the purple tornado came close. Stitch countered with a kick, but it was caught; he struggled to get free. Kixx twisted it, sending Stitch to the ground.

Kixx jumped into the air. Stitch rolled. The mat shook; Angel gasped. They paused, bouncing, shaking off the tension. Stitch took offense; he spun for a side-kick. Kixx moved to catch it, but Stitch feigned back and lunged with a front-kick. Kixx stumbled back. Angel let out her breath.

The fight wasn't over; Kixx recoiled off the ropes and ran toward his target. Stitch dodged, and Kixx rebounded off the opposite ropes. Stitch barely moved aside; Kixx rebounded again. A third rebound, and Stitch had enough. As the purple blur neared, Stitch widened his stance, ducked low, and jutted his head forward. Bone clapped in the air; the two fighters landed on their backs, and quickly regained their footing.

Stitch breathed heavily, his vision a little blurry. He tried to focus, charging toward Kixx. The piggish experiment dodged, and Stitch gripped the ropes. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He started to feel strange; his limbs felt sluggish. Kixx bounded toward him with a burst of speed—Stitch tried to dodge, but he felt as though he was barely moving. Kixx punched his chest; he flew against the ropes and landed on the opposite side of the ring, near Angel. She quickly grabbed his hand.

"_Stop fighting,_" She said very fast—almost in one word. Stitch blinked, but his eyelids felt slow. It felt like time for him was slowing down. He shook his head, and stood. Kixx poised in a stance, throwing a few boastful punches. Stitch could hardly see them, as the experiment's arms moved they disappeared. Something was wrong—Stitch looked beyond Kixx, at a bird in a tree. It took off, and darted across the sky, as fast as a bullet. Clouds jogged across the sky, and people were walking almost at a jog's pace.

Stitch was caught off guard; Kixx threw a lightning-fast punch. Stitch tried to catch it, but his arm barely made it up half-way before the hit collided with his chest. As he fell, Kixx pressed his shoulder against his neck and tackled him. Stitch struggled to get free but Kixx quickly managed to lock his arms and legs in a pin. With his lower-left arm, he started to slam on the mat. Once; Stitch only heard the sound of the mat. Twice; he saw the motion of the arm. The purple hand moved down to slam for the win, but it was caught in a vice-grip.

"_Get off him_!" Angel yelled with normal speed, as she twisted the wrist backward. Kixx hollered as he flipped over, releasing Stitch. Angel tugged on Kixx's wrist. "_You want to fight dirty_?" She said, pressing her knee against his back. He looked at her, and flung his hand to knock against the back of her knee. She tripped, and rebounded to a fighting stance. Kixx got to his feet, and laughed.

"_Ju spena tut _Stitch? Stitch _isa bugga_."

"_Miga naga _ask for fight," Angel snapped, "_You're messing up our fun._"

"_You fighting for him_? _This is fun._" He cracked his knuckles, and took a stance.

"_He fought for me,_" she said with a smile. Stitch got to his feet.

"_And he lost,_" Kixx said, as he threw four punches at Angel. Upper-left, lower-right, upper-right, lower-left; Angel blocked them all. Her hands were swift as she calmly blocked the punches aside, and opened his center; his eyes pulsed as he watched her move with amazing speed. Her right palm thrust forward, and met the underside of his chin. He leaned back with the impact, his arms sprawled back. Stitch watched as they paused, and Kixx started to laugh. "_What's he got that I don't got_?" Kixx asked with a smile as Angel returned to her normal stance. Angel pointed to her head. He chuckled, and brushed himself off. "_When that's not enough, you know where to find me._"

"_You won't be here much longer,_" Angel said, poised in a fighting stance.

"_And why's that_?" Angel smiled.

"_I'm going to shame you so bad you won't want to show your face._" Kixx stared at her blankly, almost surprised, and then started to chuckle. Angel kept her stance, even while he burst into a full-out laugh.

"_You think you actually got me_? _What you did wasn't anything—I went easy on you_."

"_Then bring it._" Stitch's ears twitched. Kixx's face pulsed to genuine surprise. "_You wanna impress me_? _If you can beat me I'll go out with you for a week._" Kixx smiled; Stitch growled.

"_I knew I'd have a chance with you,_" he got into a stance, and lunged toward her. Stitch blinked as they disappeared; his eyes snapped around the ring. Where were they? He looked at the ocean, and spotted a wave—it was frozen in place. He shook his head, and when he opened his eyes, he felt the mat of the ring shake; Angel was down. Her nose hugged against the mat, and Kixx's foot held her down by her back. She muttered something under her breath as he counted to two. Stitch dashed forward, and before he counted to three, took her hand and slapped the palm.

"Tag," He said, spun on his left foot, and collided with Kixx in a back-spin kick.

Kixx tumbled back, and leaned against the ropes, dazed for a moment. Stitch helped Angel up by the wrist.

"C'mons, let's gets out of here," she huffed. He patted her back and turned her toward the side of the ring.

"One second, _oketaka_?" She turned to look at him as she walked to the side. She met his eyes for a moment, and paused; something was subtly different about them. Kixx had recovered and started to protest his interference. Stitch began to growl, and a moment later, kicked Kixx in the gut, cutting his rambles. As the purple cousin was stunned, his hand gripped the underside of the Kixx's neck. "Cousin never learn _naga _hit girl?" His eyes squinted; Kixx's eyes pulsed. "_Naga _hit girl," Stitch growled, twisting on the balls of his feet; Kixx felt a pull, "_especial_ not _miga _Angel!" Kixx felt his feet drag across the mat before he was thrown into the air; he tried to yell, but his breath wasn't back. He landed with a grunt.

Angel clasped Stitch's bicep.

"_Is there a _quiet _place around here_?" She asked. Stitch remained motionless, staring down at Kixx. She started tugging on his arm, but only got his attention when she finally yanked.

"Gaba?"

"_Is there a quiet place we can go to_?"Stitch thought for a moment, glancing back at Kixx for a moment, and then nodded his head. "_Let's go there, then_."

"_Oketaka, _follow," Stitch took her hand, and helped her through the ropes of the ring. They walked away from the Recreation area rather quickly, and then moved into a run as the crowds thinned. Angel felt lost; the scenery was all the same around them, trees to the left, sand in front and in back, and ocean to the right. But she trusted Stitch—and soon a new object of scenery came to view. A little cove sprang up in the distance, and grew by the second as they sprinted toward it. Their pace slowed, and hand-in-hand they arrived.

The cove was quiet, without a soul in sight. The ocean lapped against the rocks that jutted from the cove, spraying mist into the air. The sun disappeared behind a cloud, and Angel opened her eyes to catch the view. Seagulls cawed overhead and flew around the rocks, occasionally swooping down to pick up an item of trash for nesting. Angel gazed into the waters.

For the first time she beheld the infinite ocean; the white-capped waves roaring like tigers, the deep blue hiding deep mysteries, the cool waters that rushed over her feet. She leaned against her _booch. _His arms wrapped around her as the sun peeked out. She squinted as the rays of light glinted off the ocean's skin into her eyes. The waves seemed to drag the wind; as they receded her ears flew forward, and as they crashed against the shore, her ears relaxed. She took in a breath, smelling the salt and mist of the ocean.

"Is beautifuls" She said, looking back at him.

"_Ih,_" He agreed; the shadow of a gull whipped over them.

"_Can we go in_?" She asked. He sort of shivered.

"Stitch…_naga _swim…" He replied.

"Oh, _miga _forgets…_you're too dense._" He nodded his head. "_Well, we don't have to get all the way in…can we just…go in a little bit_?" Stitch gazed upon the ocean for a moment.

"_Oketaka,_" he said, _"But not too far._"

"_Naga,_" She agreed, and broke through his hands, holding onto one to lead him into the waters. "_We'll just go in up to our waists, is that ok_?"

"_Ih,_" he replied with a smile. She smiled back, and shivered as the cool waters rushed over her toes. Stitch was reluctant at first, bulking as the water rushed up to him. But Angel held his hand tighter, and assured him she wasn't going to stay in for very long. He nodded, and took a step in.

The water receded, and she found a certain glee in making footprints in the soft sand, and watched as the waters came back to fill her work, leaving a brand new canvas. She paused a minute to draw letters and pictures with her toe, and even got Stitch to join in; they raced to see who could spell more of a word before the waves erased them.

"_Booch,_" she said, hugging him as the waters splashed over their ankles, "_I'm sorry I got you into that sparring match with Kixx_." He brushed it off, "_No, really; I wanted you to relax, and here I am setting you up to show off your muscle in order to impress me._" She squeezed his bicep. "_I don't want you doing that anymore. You know I love you no matter what, right_?" His eyes focused on hers for a moment, without saying a word. "_I do,_" She said sweetly, kissing his cheek.

"_Ih,_" he said, "Stitch _naga _spar for Angel."

"_Good; especially not when you're not one-hundred percent._"

"Angel fight good," He complimented. She smiled.

"_Well, why shouldn't I_; _can't always expect you to take care of me._" She smiled and kissed him again. "_Now c'mon, you promised we could go in just a little more._" She took his hand; he hesitated. "_Don't worry, I won't let you fall in_;_ just five more steps_?"

"_Okeataka_," he agreed, "Five more." Their first step was met with the water splashing up their shins; Angel giggled, and started to splash Stitch with her foot. At first he flinched, but then he relaxed and splashed her back. She ran forward three steps, and he chased after her, trying to splash her; she dodged, leaping ahead. He leapt as well, but suddenly shuddered in fright as he saw the water was above his hips. It receded lower, and he felt relief as Angel ran back to him.

"_Is this too far, booch_?" She asked. He looked back toward the shoreline.

"Two more," He told her.

"_Ju suga_?"

"_Ih_." He took her hand, and took one step; she followed. The sand started to shift under his feet; the wave was rising. He gulped, but intended to keep his promise; he took another step. She looked at the wave.

"_It's big, let's go back._"

"_Isa oketaka,_" he reassured.

"_No…I think we should…it's getting closer, c'mon_." She started to go back, but the under-toe pulled Stitch away from her; she lost his hand. "_Booch_!" The quagmire beneath Stitch's feet gave way to his weight; Angel glimpsed the horror in his face before it disappeared into the water.


	3. Oceanwalk

A Puzzle of Missing Pieces

Side Piece: Yesterday

©/By: Kenjaje

E/R: Tsuki Akurei

Chapter 3: Oceanwalk

Stitch's heart fluttered; his ears rang; his arms flailed. The sand gathered around him, pushing on him, tamping him down. He tried to struggle, but like the snake's constriction the more he did the worse he was bound. His heart was racing, panic searing through his veins; his body began to tingle. His arms relaxed as the sand filled in around him. His heart slowed as his energy ran dry. The tingle in his body became ever-prominent, and even began to hurt.

But slowly all of these things began to wither from Stitch's mind; he felt his arms relax to his side and his feet alight on a flat surface. Hesitantly he opened his eyes. The sand was gone; he was surrounded by the blue waters of the ocean. There was no slope of the shore behind him. As he looked around, he quickly noticed something strange about him; only a few yards away, the ocean's sapphire blue faded to a noir gray. It looked as though there a current of wind moved fog laterally across the ground. Stitch took a step toward it, but felt a hard pressure grip his shoulder.

Darkness; Stitch tried to open his eyes. Something hit his stomach. Water pushed through his windpipe; air caught his throat. He coughed, and turned his head to the side. The water trickled from his mouth. He felt another force to his gut, resulting in him hurling another large volume of water. He coughed again, and finally he could breathe a little. After a few more minutes, he was able to sit up.

"_Ga—_" He heard someone shush him, and put a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes; some water leaked from them, but he could still see Angel's face.

"_Jese kattuk_?" Kixx walked into Stitch's vision.

"_Ih,_" Angel replied, "_Grasa._"

"_Ju kamita…rejumu_?"

"_Naga_!" Kixx huffed, and started to walk away. In the distance he shouted;

"_Ju desta miga_." Stitch could still feel the tingling in his body.

"C'mon, _booch_," she said, as she picked him up with a huff. She flung his arm over her shoulders and carried him next to the rock wall of the cove.

"Ange—" She shushed him again.

"_Don't talk_." She ordered, "Rests, _oketaka_?" He nodded, and she set him down against the rock. The shade was cool, and the rock was cold. She sat next to him, and took his left hand into her loving grasp. She looked into his eyes. "_Ju oketaka_?" She asked sincerely. He nodded. "_Naga_ hurts?" He paused for a moment, and finally shook his head. She sighed with relief and wrapped her arms around his shoulders; out of reflex his arms held her waist. Her breathing became shallow as she held him, and soon after he felt her shivering and heard her whimpering.

"Angel," he gently pried her off to see her face. Tears ran from the outer corners of her eyes as she gazed at him; she broke away and tore her gaze from him. She kneeled and looked at Stitch's feet. He clambered forward, kneeling as well, and lifted her chin. His smile reflected in her eyes. "Stitch okay," he reassured her. Her shoulders dropped.

"_That doesn't mean…it's not my fault._" She said. He let go of her chin, and her gaze dropped for a moment. She brought it back up as he held her hands.

"What Angel mean?" His thumbs rubbed the back of her wrists. She sighed.

"_This whole thing's my fault…_I _wanted to go in the water, _I _wanted to go in up to our waists—_" he shushed her.

"Stitch fall because _Stitch naga _careful, Angel tell Stitch to go back, but Stitch _naga _listen. Is why Stitch went down."

"_I could've stopped it sooner,_" she scolded herself, "_or better yet I could've _saved _you_!" He gently squeezed her shoulder; she rolled it backward to loosen his grip. "_Don't even try to say otherwise, you don't know what I did._"

"Then tell—"

"_Nothing_!" She interrupted. The waves lapped against the shore several times before she spoke again. "_I didn't do…anything_," she looked up at him shamefully, tears beginning to well in her eyes again. "_I panicked…when I could've dived in to save you._" She took the hand that was on her shoulder and pried it off. "_When I finally tried, you were in the sand. I wasn't strong enough to break through it…Kixx—probably followed us—showed up and…he punched through the sand and saved you._" She looked down and to the side, "_While I…just watched. And if Kixx hadn't been there—weird as it was—I don't know what I would've done if…_" Stitch took her into an embrace. She reluctantly returned it. "_So much for a relaxing day_;" she scoffed,"_maybe if I don't touch you at all you'll at least have a decent—_"

"Angel," he said softly, "Shut up." Her ears twitched, and her eyes pulsed and narrowed at him. The look on him—with his eyes closed and his cheek against her shoulder—made Angel drop her snare. She understood what he meant. Her reluctant hold secured around him. The embrace would have never ended; both of them waited for the other to pull away. Finally they both looked into each other's eyes, and for a moment Angel averted her gaze, but finally she looked at him sincerely.

"_I'm fine now_," she said. He smiled; as he did, he sat back against the rock with a sigh. Angel stayed for a moment longer, catching the sunset in Stitch's eyes. She turned around to stare at the real thing, and sat by her _booch's _side. "_We should head back—Nani will get angry if we're gone after dark._"

"Later," he said, pulling her closer to him by the shoulder. She leaned against his chest, her left hand taken by his right. She brought her knees in, and closed her eyes. His other arm began to stroke her back, and at that moment since he had gone under the ocean, she felt peace.

He breathed quietly, resting. His mind wandered as he watched the waves. The thundering white caps reminded him of the frozen moment. That led him to the moment when Kixx seemed to speed up. _"That could've been my imagination—I did butt heads with him right before that…" _But underneath the ocean just then… _"I was drowning…hallucination." _The repeated moment of Angel throwing the ball… _"It probably just happened once, and I imagined it again. I was still sleepy." _And the peanut-butter jar breaking—or rather, how it repeated like the ball, but this time the instances were _different_? …Only a sigh; no explanation.

Angel watched as the sun inched its way into the water, and marveled at the gilded crowns of the waves and the burning clouds in the endless sky. Black birds darted like shooting stars, and dove toward the waters to snatch strange creatures in their bills. She sighed as the sun, once gone, left the waves poor and the clouds in ashes. She shivered as a cold wind whistled by, and a dark cloud began to crawl over the horizon.

"_It looks like it might rain…_"

"_Oketaka_," Stitch said, patting her back, "Stitch and Angel go." Hand-in-hand, Stitch led Angel on a quiet stroll back to the buggy. A few moments after they left the cove, Angel looked back at it.

"Nice spot," she said, "how _ju _knowses about?"

"Is Pudge Cove," he replied.

"Pet fish of Lilo?"

"_Ih_." As they strolled, the wind began to pick up; Angel looked behind to see the dark cloud taking over the waning light of the sky. She nudged Stitch and pointed, and they decided to run to the buggy. With a bit of a dispute about who was to drive—Angel wanted to, since Stitch might still be shaken from his swim—Stitch finally took the wheel and sped off. As they drove, the lightning flashed and the thunder clapped; the rain began to pound the earth just as they were getting inside. They shook of their coats at the front door, and Angel yipped when another thunderclap rattled the house.

"Turns on light," she said, flipping the switch in the living room. Nothing happened; she flipped it again and again, but the light didn't come on. "_Naga,_" she said with a little fear.

"Power out," Stitch said.

"_Miga _hate storm…" She hugged close to Stitch.

"_Naga_ worry, storm _naga _hurt Angel."

"_It's not just that…it's that…it's water…_" Stitch shook his head.

"Come, upstairs." He said, and took her hand. She followed him closely, yipping and clasping him tightly every time the storm shook the house. Finally they arrived up in the bedroom, and Angel found a bit of courage to let Stitch's hand go. He turned and smiled, illuminated by a flash of lightning. Angel winced for the thunderclap, but it was only a mild rumble. "Stitch and Angel have long day," he said, "go sleep."

"_Oketaka_," Angel agreed reluctantly, heading for her bed. "_Ju _stays with _miga _until falls asleep, please?" Stitch chuckled.

"_Ih,_" he said kindly, and walked her to her bed. She hopped up and hugged against the wall as he clambered up, and immediately clung to him. He began to gently massage her back to calm her down. She started to purr, but was interrupted by another roar of thunder.

Some time later, though she was frightened, Angel's exhaustion took its toll, and Stitch felt her slip into a dream. He waited for a while longer, in case she awoke. The rain began to pick up again, hammering the windowpanes like rocks. Stitch wondered if Zeus had anything to do with it. He smacked his lips—thirsty.

He gently pried himself from Angel's grasp, and quietly landed on the carpet floor. He made his way toward the elevator, when a thunderclap rattled the house again; Angel started to mumble. Stitch turned, but saw that she was still asleep. He hoped she wouldn't wake up as the elevator carried him to the second floor. Too tired to go all the way to the kitchen, Stitch headed to the bathroom. Therein, he went to the sink, pushed his lower jaw under the faucet, and turned the water on. After drinking his fill, he pulled out some crystals of sand stuck deep in his fur. Finally, he splashed some warm water on his face, shook it off, and went back into the hallway.

He walked down the hall—the house was very quiet. Oddly quiet. It struck him just now, that he had not seen anyone from the _O'hana_ all day. His mind traveled back to the afternoon, when he went to the ship to find Lilo. She wasn't there—she should have been, but she wasn't. He passed the elevator and went to Jumba and Pleakly's room. He the door creaked open as he peered inside. Even in his thermal vision, the room was empty. He shut the door, and darted down the hall to Nanis room.

Under normal circumstances he would never go into the lair of Nani the Dragoness, but with the weird events of the day—repeated moments, things that didn't seem to happen, and especially the frozen ocean—it was far over normalcy's head. Stitch slowly opened the door; it squeaked very softly. He gazed into the room, but couldn't see anything. He took a step inside, and a board beneath his foot groaned.

"Huh?" Stitch froze; Nani snapped up out of bed and turned on the light. Stitch winced as his pupils ached. Nani brushed her hair aside. "Stitch; what're you doing? It's almost eleven-thirty." Stitch looked around for a second—he wasn't actually expecting Nani to be in there. He moved and started to pretend like he was sleepwalking; Nani crossed her arms and stared down at him. He stopped, realizing his act wasn't working.

"_Soka_," he said with a wave and a chuckle.

"It's bedtime Stitch. Go. Now." Stitch grinned with a row of teeth and quickly hopped through the threshold of the door, shutting it quietly. Outside, he leaned against the wall, and sighed.

"Stitch over-react." He told himself. "Stitch sleepy when morning, and hit head when fight…and dream when under water. Everything fine, Stitch sleep." He sighed again and moved away from the wall. He went to the elevator, and rode it up. When he arrived at the top, he saw Angel standing against her bed. "Angel wake?"

Angel, a black silhouette in the darkness, turned defensively. Something was odd about her behavior. A flicker of lightning came through the window; Stitch saw Angel's face lying against the pillow in her. His eyes snapped back to the silhouette, which was moving toward the window. "_Naga _Angel," he snapped, as it opened the window and leapt outside. Stitch growled and followed.

He flew through the raindrops into the air, and spotted the walking shadow through the haze of the rain. He splashed on the ground; the water was up to his ankles. Raindrops thick as marbles beat against his body as he tore through the mist after the shadow. He ran down the slope of the little hill on which the house was set. The figure ran fast, and Stitch eventually blinked on his thermal vision to track it.

The shadow cut through thickets of palm trees, heading for town. Stitch followed, taking the high ground, leaping from treetop to treetop, but he still only managed to keep the target in his sights. Treetop turned to rooftop; Stitch started to lose distance as his target turned corners and ducked into the buildings. The trail ran cold; Stitch stood on a sleek roof, holding onto a wind vane. Thunder clapped in the distance. Stitch glanced around—the streets were empty; just a car on the opposite side below him.

Stitch looked further out on the edge of the town, now almost convinced he'd lost whoever, or whatever, the shadow was; until he spotted something running on the beach. He blinked, and his vision zoomed. There it was. He looked at the car and slid down the roof, landing next to the passenger door.

"Stitch fix after borrow," he said to himself as he punched the door to dent it, and pried it open. He hopped to the driver's side, and hot-wired it to start. He pushed the pedal and the engine roared down the street; he made his way over curbs to head toward the beach. The car trampled down the path, over rocks and shrubs. Stitch cut through whatever he could, and finally he made it to the coast. He pushed the pedal to the floor and ran the car over the beach. Mud kicked up behind the car, and very quickly it started to lose traction. Stitch tried to keep control, but eventually the right front tire dipped into the soft mud.

Stitch kicked the car with a growl and hopped out the door; the target wasn't as far ahead as he thought it would be. As he ran, he felt the rainwater rushing over his feet down to the beach. He could feel the waves pushing against the rainwater, causing the level to rise to just below his knees. He ignored his rising fear and kept in pace with the target, determined to understand who or what it was, and why it was near Angel's bed.

Stitch could see well enough through the fog at the beach to turn his vision back to normal. The shadow was several yards ahead, but Stitch was closing in on it. It veered to the right ever slightly, as it neared a rocky area. Stitch was four yards from it, able to see its figure; it was a cousin. As Stitch and the cousin neared the cove, the rain seemed to let up. Stitch watched the drops splash against the rushing waves in the gap between the cousin and him, and felt something was wrong. He looked back to where the shore was, and tripped in the water with fear; the shoreline was gone.

A fish hovered in the air nearby; Stitch got to his feet, and looked below. He could see fish, almost stationary in the water. He looked up, and watched for a second as a raindrop splashed against his nose. He looked to the direction of the cousin, and ran for it. A lightning bolt leapt from one cloud to another up in the sky. Stitch saw a familiar sight: the moving tendrils of fog against a dark-gray canvas. The figure ran toward it, and so Stitch followed—the world around him began to fade to black.

Stitch's mind stirred; a loud _thump _against glass jarred him. He held his head, pain throbbed in his temples. His legs ached and he felt dizzy. He rubbed his dry eyes. From his left, a loud bang startled him, and he opened his eyes to see a young teenaged girl walk into the room, throw a backpack to the side, and fall face-first onto her bed.

"_Finally _the weekend! Now I can relax, watch TV and—"

"Lilo?" The young girl stood up alertly; she froze, as if she'd heard a ghost. Her face was different, but her eyes were unmistakable. "Lilo!" She turned her head to see a living blue teddy-bear leaning against her old toy chest.

"_You!_"


	4. Time On Hand

A Puzzle of Missing Pieces

Side Piece: Yesterday

©/By: Kenjaje

E/R: Tsuki Akurei

Chapter 4: Time On Hand

They stared at each other for a moment in silence. Stitch smiled, parrying the questions that rose from the sight of the teenaged Lilo. She was more surprised, unable to form questions; her jaw gradually drooped lower and lower. Finally, she gathered herself and chuckled, speaking while she turned to pick up her backpack.

"So uh…did you forget something?" She held the backpack over one shoulder. Stitch didn't reply at first; the question began to flood him. "You…do remember me, don't you Stitch?" As she said his name, his ears swiveled forward.

"Oh, aloha Lilo," he said, with a wave. She waved back with shivering palm. "_Gabitcha ju_?"

"I'm fi—" she started to reply, but the thought of understanding his alien language stopped her; her bag dropped to the floor. She sat down on her bed, and ran a hand through her hair. "Would you mind if I splashed some _really_ cold water on my face?" One of Stitch's ears began to fall.

"_Isa_…no problem," he said. She nodded and quickly walked out the door; Stitch waited quietly, without moving much, until Lilo came back into the room with wet bangs.

"Ok, now that that's out of the way," she lied on her stomach on the bed and held her head up by her chin; she looked at Stitch. "What brings you hopping back to my time so soon?" Stitch noticed a bit of calmness in her voice that wasn't present earlier.

"Stitch…" he looked to the side, out the window next to Lilo. "_Naga nota_." He finally admitted with a shrug.

"Just came back to check up on me?" She said with a giggle. Stitch started to laugh too; the tension in the air was slacking. "I think I can survive a day without you, Stitch."

"One day?" He asked. Lilo nodded.

"You left yesterday afternoon."

"_Yesterday…"_ he thought.

"I assumed I was never going to see you again but—well hey, here you are!" Stitch smiled; whether Lilo was hiding her uneasiness with humor or otherwise, it made him glad to see her again.

"Stitch not think see Lilo either," he replied.

"So…what; did you just like…pop up here or did you plan on dropping by?"

"Stitch…pop up…but…" Her question raised his thoughts; dots started connecting. The repeated ball, the race with Angel that was never declared (though she said it was), Kixx's speed, and the pause during Angel's part of the fight—

"Hey are you ok?"

"_Ga_?" Stitch flinched at Lilo's hand, waving in front of his face.

"Don't space out on me—you popped up, but…what?" She sat sideways, and leaned against the wall with her arm propping her torso.

"Oh…_naga tukka_." He said, "Stitch just think," he shrugged. "Stitch leave _yesterday_?" Lilo nodded.

"You've only been gone for a little over twenty-four hours." She smiled, "Did you get home ok?" Her voice had a genuine, caring undertone.

"Oh, yeah-yeah," he nodded, "_Grasa_. Stitch home for long time…more than yesterday."

"Hm...so you've been back in your own time for a quite a while, then." She adjusted her posture to sit upright as her arm started to go numb. "Did you tell the little-me that bigger-me said 'hi'?" Stitch's ears drooped a little.

"_Naga_," he replied admittedly, "Wanted to but, _naga _know if telling damage."

"I understand; I'd hate for something to happen because of that too. I've seen _plenty _of sci-fi flicks, so I know the consequences." She got up and started to stretch. "So…does time-traveling make you hungry? I can fix you something." His stomach announced with a loud groan. "I guess that's a 'yes'."

"_Oketaka_," he admitted, and she beckoned him to follow her. He leapt from his spot and bolted down the hall. Lilo stopped as he passed, and a moment later when she arrived in the kitchen, she bore a few hearty chuckles.

"You're _insanely_ fast," she commented, opening a cupboard. Stitch felt a bit of sophistication; he realized that running ahead was rude. He was acting as a member of the home, when he should be acting as a guest.

"_Miga soka_. Stitch be more polite."

"No way," she said as she got a bowl from another cupboard. "You live here—technically…in another time…you get my point."

"Can Stitch sit?" He asked, pointing to the chair.

"Don't ask, just make yourself at home." She strode to the microwave, dish in hands. He took his spot. "So, I'm guessing you've got some alien-powers huh?" She glanced over; he gave a modest shrug. "Aw, come on, I've seen _way _too many sci-fi's." She leaned against the counter. "You've got speed—what else?"

Stitch sighed, and hopped off his chair. He walked to a leg of the table and gripped the wood gently. It rose into the air like it was light as paper to him, tilted in his direction. Lilo's posture flinched, and her eyes showed the most surprise, but otherwise she kept still. He set the table down, and then set about climbing the wall, and hanging from the ceiling. The microwave beeped as Stitch alighted on the tile floor, landing on one knee and palm. Lilo was smiling; the way her eyes observed him made it seem like she was more impressed than surprised.

"Is that all?" She finally asked, after a moment. Stitch shook his head.

"One more…" Two extra arms spilled from his sides, the small antennae on his head rose like periscopes, and the quills on his back snapped up, but Lilo only saw them when he turned to the side. Her smile grew a bit, and his lips rose to smile back complemented with a blink.

"Standing there like that," she opened the microwave, "You look like a hero from a movie." His ears twitched. She walked the hot bowl—muttering _ow's _under her breath—and set it on the table. "I hope you don't mind ravioli again, I haven't been to the store yet." Without comment his body reverted back to normal and he sat in the chair opposite Lilo. The bowl of steaming food sizzled as he gazed down at it. "Speed, strength, and scaling ridiculous angles would be stealth. You're some kind of fighting alien aren't you?" He said nothing for a moment, just stared at the ravioli. "Is it too hot?"

"_Naga,_" he replied, finally glancing up at her before he glanced to his right and leapt out of his seat. "Stitch need fork." He pulled a drawer out, and the silverware clanked once.

"You wolfed it down last night in one gulp—are you still trying to be 'more polite'?" He nodded as he made his way back and hopped into the chair.

"Is long story…" he said, stabbing at a square, "But Stitch not mind tell, if Lilo want listen." He lifted the fork to his mouth, but paused. "Lilo not eat?" She shook her head.

"I had a late lunch at school," she brushed her hair behind her, "Tell me, if you don't mind, what kind of alien are you?"

"Experiment," he said as he swallowed. "Stitch was created to destroy," he said carefully, each word in its accuracy a bit of a struggle. "Jumba create Stitch. Stitch was perfect one."

"Jumba—grandpa?" Stitch shook his head.

"Jumba alien also. Pleakly alien also." Lilo shook her head.

"Grandpa wasn't an alien…he had a bald head and really goofy glasses, I'll give ya that, but he was _no _alien."

"Maybe Jumba different here?"

"Maybe…" She agreed. "So then, in your time, how do we know each other?"

"Stitch escape from Turo—alien home. Crash land here. Stitch pretend to be dog, pretend to be pet for Lilo. Stitch not know Lilo alien at first, or that Stitch meant to destroy."

"You keep saying that," The older Lilo pointed out, "that you were meant to destroy. But obviously you're not here bent on taking over this place…so what changed your mind?" Stitch brought another square to his mouth, and blinked once as he stared into her eyes. She chuckled at him. "I guess that's obvious, I should've asked _who_."

"_Ju _teach Stitch a lot," he said, "especially O'hana."

"I see…so some things are all the same." She leaned back in her chair. "Since you don't spend your time taking everyone's left shoe and reversing traffic lights, what do you do with that alien might—and brains, too, I'm guessing."

"Stitch not only experiment. Stitch number six-two-six."

"So there are six-hundred twenty-five others." He nodded. "So let me try to guess: each one of them is like you, bent on some evil or destructive desire, and because you have a conscience you try to stop them, or capture them."

"_Ih_," he said with a smile. "Lilo smart."

"I try," she said with a shrug.

"Stitch and Lilo have job; Stitch capture cousins, and Lilo find one, true place where cousins good."

"So it's my job—well, me in another time—to do for your cousins what I did for you?" He nodded. "I wanna meet this me, she sounds pretty responsible. I'm lucky to find the one, true place for my dirty laundry and it's just in the other room." Stitch laughed. "What's more she's in the past, so she's younger too."

"_Ih_," Stitch finished the ravioli.

"I was thinking though, about the past." He looked up at her. "There's no way grandpa Jumba was an alien, no way I knew you…no way any of this ever happened. At first that was part of the reason why I didn't believe you when you first arrived. But then I started thinking and…" she shook her head, "Nah…it's crazy."

"_Gaba_?"

"Well, I guess it can't be any crazier than this," she took in a breath. "Well, you say you came from the past, but if you did…you didn't come from mine. There's this theory we discussed in Philosophy class once, about parallel universes." His ears twitched, and she saw a look of intrigue on him.

"Basically…well, it means that there's more than one universe out there, and each one has similar things about it—take me for example. There's universe A and universe B; you're in B right now, but you're from A. Both of them have me, but the only one that has you in it is A. Otherwise, people are the same—but in your universe A, Jumba is an alien. Here…he's my grandpa." Stitch blinked a few times. "I was just thinking about what you said about the whole time-stream thing…well maybe while you jump the time-stream, you also jump universes as well."

"Lilo _really _smart." She chuckled.

"It was just a thought. I was actually kind of wondering about going into your universe if that was the case…" His ears twitched. "Well, anyway…I guess you want to find a way back to your own time or universe now, don't you?" He looked out the window, and watched the sun come out from behind a cloud.

"Stitch think…maybe not so easy." He looked back at her. "Stitch not know what to do."

"Maybe Chroney can help," she said, taking his bowl. He tried to grab it from her, but she moved too quickly. "If you're going to act like a guest, then I'm going to act like a host."

"Stitch not know how."

"Well…what were you doing before you got here?" The memory suddenly came to him vividly, and he began to tell her. She sat back down and listened without saying a word, not even when he slipped into his own tongue. "That sounds…fantastic. And that figure, you're sure it was a cousin?" He nodded. "Well…maybe that cousin wound up here too—maybe it was Chroney."

"Stitch…not think so."

"Well who else could it have been?"

"_Naga nota_."

"Where are you going?" Stitch hopped out of his chair, and started to walk to the front door. He paused, and turned back around.

"Find cousin. Lilo smart, maybe right. If cousin here, Stitch find. Figure out what going on."

"Well, hold on, let me come with you," Lilo pushed her chair back and stood up.

"_Naga_," he held up his hand, "Lilo stay."

"Lilo go," she said, gripping his hand as she passed by him. "I just need to change first; can't go running around in a muumuu, it's not action-friendly." He loosened his hand from her grasp, she turned to look at him. His eyes were stern.

"Lilo, cousin could be dangerous. Stitch not want Lilo get hurt."

"Please, don't think that just 'cuz I'm a girl I'm some fragile doll."

"But—"

"Besides, you let the little-me go with you and I'm _sure _if it's not safe for me it's not too safe for her." He tried to protest, but looked down.

"Stitch just not want ruin this universe," he finally said.

"Don't worry about that. Besides…you said yourself it's my job to find everyone's one, true place, _ih_?" Stitch's ears twitched at the last word.

"_Ih…_" He reluctantly admitted. Lilo kneeled down, and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Well…the way I understand it, somewhere out there is a universe with little-me, this Angel, and all the other cousins in your O'hana. That's _your _one, true place…so it's my job to get you there." She squeezed his shoulder gently. "Plus…I think," she looked into his eyes, "I think I can feel little-me. I think she's sad 'cuz you're not there."


	5. Parallel Kauai

A Puzzle of Missing Pieces

Side Piece: Yesterday

©/By: Kenjaje

E/R: Tsuki Akurei

Chapter 5: Parallel Kauai

Stitch looked past Lilo to the road ahead as she pedaled her bike toward town. He sat behind her, his arms hugged around her waist as a great deal of his rear lacked the support of the seat. They were heading to the animal shelter.

"All right, I'm ready," She said, prior to their leave. "I actually half expected you to take off without me." She leaned against the railing; she had gone to change while Stitch remained in the living room and observed the house. She wore an slightly oversized yellow shirt with a decal that was cut by a strap from a satchel-like purse slung around her torso. Red gym shorts peeked out from under the edge of the oversized shirt. She had her hair in ponytail and tennis shoes on her feet, both of which Stitch rarely saw on the younger Lilo.

"_Oketaka_." He said, and started to run out the door.

"Hey, wait a minute," he stalled and turned to face her again, "You're just going to go out there and search blindly?" He stared at her for a couple of moments, and then shrugged. "It's still a few hours before dark, but if we want to get _anywhere _we have to start with a plan…"

"_Gaba ju tukka_?"

"I'm glad you asked, I think I know where we can start," she walked over to the table in the middle of the room, and pulled a few bills from a drawer as she explained. "If I remember correctly, you said that you met little-me at a pet shelter, _ih_?" He nodded after a moment. "Well, if everyone thought _you _were a dog, then maybe this cousin of yours was mistaken for one too."

A few people stared at Stitch as they rode down the streets. He tried to remain still, in hopes that most would assume he was just a stuffed animal.

"Unfortunately," she said, back in the living room before they left, "Nani's got the only car, so we'll have to get around by bike. But don't worry, I'm really fast."

"_Isa oketaka,_" he replied. She snapped her satchel shut.

"Then let's go."

The island was a lot different than where he came from. Weather-wise, it was a little more humid. The buildings were also very different; some were familiar in name or look, but the shops were jumbled. He realized rather quickly that the animal shelter was in a different place too, as it took them far longer to get there than he remembered.

"_Whew_," Lilo wiped the sweat from her forehead. "All right little doggy, ready to do some acting?"

"_Ih_," he replied, hopping off of her back. She panted for a few more seconds; Stitch saw beads of sweat rolling down her neck.

"Okay, just give me a sec to think of what to say." While she thought, she rolled her bike to the side of the shelter and leaned it against the wall. A few moments later signaled only by a hand gesture, Stitch followed her inside.

"Hey there, lil' lady, can I help you?" Stitch was expecting the voice of a woman with an undertone of frustration, but instead a calm, gruff voice hit his ears. A tall middle-aged man with short black hair and a bit of bulk in his arms smiled to Lilo with yellow-tinted teeth.

"Hi, uh…Ted," Lilo greeted, glancing at his nametag, "I was wondering if you've seen any little doggies that look like mine in the past few days." She bent over and picked Stitch up by the armpits. He started to wriggle, partly in acting, partly out of acting. Ted looked at Stitch for a moment, and Stitch stopped.

"Are you sure that's a dog?" Stitch started to growl.

"He's…a special breed. I forget what kind, a mix of a few, but have you seen any that look like him? Or do you have one in back that does?" Ted scratched his beard.

"Can't say we do. And we haven't had any new mugs brought in for a little while." Lilo set Stitch back down on the floor; he started to lift his leg up, but she nudged him with her foot. He grinned up at her. "Would you like to come on back and see what we have?"

"_Stop it—_Huh? Oh, no that's ok." She started to walk out the door. "Sorry to bother—"

"Hold on lil' missy," she swiveled back to face him. "I think I remember one of our guys sayin' he saw a stray the other day. But when he tried to net it, the mug bit through the net—or somethin' like that. But the guy said the mug looked a little different, so maybe it looked like yours."

"Where did the catcher see it?" Ted thought for a second.

"Said it was near the Birds of Paradise. In fact, the owner had a few complaints from there."

"All right, thanks!" She said, darting out the door. Stitch stayed for a minute, and looked at the man.

"You're owner's pretty cute," he said. Stitch growled. "Hey, I'm just sayin'…"

"All right, to the hotel," Lilo hopped onto her bike, and Stitch followed suit, slipping once before he finally got a secure hold. "Sorry, Stitch. You holding on all right?" He gave said he was good, and so she started pedaling.

If the dog that Ted described was a cousin, Stitch began to ponder, was a cousin, and more specifically if it was Chroney, _"Then why is he hiding?" _Even greater in the mystery, _"Why was I sent to this time-stream—or other universe—again?" _He tried to think of the connection. _"Maybe Chroney wasn't hovering over Angel…maybe he was looking for me._" In a way, Chroney could have been beckoning him to follow, but then again—

"Hey, don't fall off," Stitch felt his hands close on air, and then found himself breathless on the ground, staring at the underside of a treetop. Lilo's face came into his view. "You okay?" She smiled, brushing a bang out of her vision.

"Stitch fine," he said as he sat up before she could offer him a hand. He shook his head to clear the dull chime in his ear, and looked toward Lilo, still smiling. Beyond her, a familiarity caught his attention. Lilo turned and watched without much word as Stitch passed her and made his way onto the overgrown grass that separated the stret from a very run-down building.

In his mind Stitch saw the angel-white paint beyond the scabs of rust, and touched the fine-grain smoothness of the wood beyond the layers of rot and mold. He felt the homeliness and solidity despite the holes, the warmth and light despite the shadows. He could hear the thrum of music beyond the silence, sense the rhythm of dancing feet. He could smell the dew in the early morning, and the flowers in the afternoon. For the first time, in this new world, he felt a sense of home.

"That's the old dance school." Lilo's voice was soft, careful not to break the fragility of his focus. He looked back at her.

"Why _isa brokuba_?" Lilo held a bit of a frown.

"Loss of interest." She said. "Not so many people went, and funding died." She stood up, and stretched. "I haven't been here in a long time."

"Can Stitch go inside?" She looked down at him from the corner of her eye, and a bang took its time to fall from her cheek. He looked back up at her.

"I don't see why not," she replied. The inside was in a better shape. Shafts of light fell through the holes and slats of the rotting wood. The little stage was still intact, and chairs were upright and scattered throughout. "Anything like you remember?"

"_Ih_," Stitch replied. "Lilo take lessons here, Stitch sometimes come."

"I see. I'm sorry it's so run-down."

"_Isa oketaka_." He stepped before the nearest wall, and put his hand on a tag of graffiti. Lilo explained that there was a gang of trouble-making teenagers that resided in a few desolated buildings—this being one of them.

"They're not _really _bad kids, but they'll get in trouble once a month or so." The dim lighting started to fade away. "I'm gonna go outside, you comin'?"

"Few more minutes, _oketaka_?" He was scratching away at the tag. She smiled.

"Sure, the hotel isn't that far from here so we've got some time to spare."

"_Takka._" Lilo gave a small wave as she stepped outside. It was a little brighter, twilight but the sun was still above the horizon. She was actually starting to get chills from the creepy place, and the mold was taking its toll on her sinuses. She closed her eyes as she followed the railing and took each step one at a time. Each step let out a wooden _thump_, as she took in a breath of fresh air. Just as her foot was about to hit the soft grass, she heard the sound of metal scraping. Her eyes snapped to her bike; the front wheel spun slowly. She heard footsteps on the grass.

"Hey!" She shouted as she followed them. They led her around the building. She stopped at the back of the building and looked around. In the distance, she saw something move from one tree to another—it looked like a small kid wearing yellow, and something red. She was about to chase him, when Stitch called her name, and ran up to her from behind.

"What happen? Stitch hear Lilo shout. Danger?"

"_Naga_," she said. Stitch's ears twitched; her third use of his language today. "I think it was one of the kids trying to steal my bike or something. I think he saw me and chickened off." She walked by him and rubbed his head as she passed. His eyes squinted and he tried to shoo her hand away. "Let's go Blue-boy."

Lilo hears the sound of plastic tapping onto the table.

"Two vanilla smoothies," a boy with short brown hair said. Before she could thank him, he walked away.

"_Isa oketaka_," Stitch consoled her as he picked up his smoothie.

"Yeah, it's fine. It was just a big tall glass of wasted time." Lilo's head rose; she was resting on her arms. "That Ted sure was right, saw something that looked a lot like you. Let's see, big nose, long ears, hair all over its body and a tongue so wet it makes the beach look parched: yup, it was an ordinary dog."

"Hey…Stitch tongue not _that _bad…" He looked up at her with sad, soulful eyes. She laughed.

"No offense," she petted his head, "I guess I can look on the bright side and say we did our good deed for the day." He nodded. "Just means we're nowhere closer to getting you back home."

"_Naga _worry," Stitch loosed the smoothie with the straw, "If Stitch can get here, Stitch can get home." He smiled at her, "_Takka _for help, but Lilo not have to anymore." She shook her head.

"I'm not going to back down; I made a promise. I don't care if it takes a bit of effort." She tried to get a bit of the drink through the straw, but it was still too solid.

"Hey, look over there," Stitch heard someone whisper.

"What's _she _doing here?" Stitch blinked, and turned his head a little.

"And what's that she's sitting with?" Out of the corner of his eye, two tables down, he spotted a group of girls huddled, glancing at them.

"Looks like a dog," one with black hair said.

"Knowing _her _it's probably a werewolf." The girl with blonde hair said.

"But it's blue," the black-haired one said.

"A blue werewolf would make sense," a girl with red hair and glasses spoke, "when it comes to Weird-lo the strangest explanation is the best explanation."

"She shouldn't be here," The blonde-haired girl said, glaring toward Stitch.

"Agreed," the red-haired one stood, "let's talk to her."

"Lilo," Stitch whispered, and nudged her with his elbow. She glanced over at him, her thoughts interrupted; he pointed.

"Oh great…" she whispered, and then said aloud, "and I thought I was going to have a _bad _day."

"Aww what's wrong," the red-haired girl spoke with a bitter-sweet tone, "Having a good day?"

"_Wonderful_, thank you for showing up, now I am complete."

"Completely _stupid_." The other girls laughed.

"Last I checked you're failing um…" Lilo held up her hand and started counting with her fingers, "all of your classes?"

"I was unjustly challenged up until now with more advanced work than the rest of the class," the red-haired girl said dramatically, "But thanks to Keoni's generous help I'll be excelling."

"He pities you."

"He pities _you_, Weird-lo, but judging by the way he's been so distant from you, seems to me like you two aren't going so well."

"We're fine." Stitch had never seen Lilo—his Lilo—look and speak the way this Lilo did.

"Is that so…why the mutt?"

"Stitch isn't a mutt."

"_Stitch_? What a freaky name. I didn't think you were _that _crazy."

"That was the name on his collar. He's a stray; wound up in my yard a few days ago. I'm trying to help him get back home." Stitch realized just how truthful Lilo's lie was—crafty.

"Sure. Don't worry, I know what you mean." The red-haired girl smiled. "You think you're getting dumped so you're trying to meat people with this gimmick," she motioned to Stitch. He growled. "Down, mutt."

"Oh _shut up!_" Lilo smacked the table and stood. "You're not three anymore Mertle; he _likes _me, get over it. He's practicing for a skate-board competition and he can't do that if I leech him. Excuse me for allowing him freedom. Maybe if you'd give your 'weekly clings' some _breathing _room they'd stay with you longer." Stitch tossed his focus from Lilo to Mertle, a little in awe at their stare-down.

"I'm shocked," Mertle said, "that you would stoop so low and insult me like that. I don't have to stand here and take this—and I was just having a nice day too."

"Uh-huh."

"It's obvious you're a very sour person, so we're going to leave. If that's how you treat people who come to talk with you it's a wonder why you don't have any friends."

"Yeah, you go put some more make-up on those boils of yours." Lilo sat back in the metal chair.

"I'd rather have to cover up a few boils than cover up my entire _face_." Mertle pushed her glasses against her nose. "Come on girls."

"Happy thoughts, happy thoughts…" Lilo muttered under her breath.

"Mertle gone," Stitch announced.

"Good riddance," Lilo grumbled. She glanced at Stitch, he was grinning with a little teeth. "What're you so happy about?"

"Lilo and Keoni _boochi-boos_?" Lilo looked at her smoothie and glared.

"You got a problem; or does it seem _impossible _to you too?" Stitch's smile faded. Lilo closed her eyes and shook her head.

"_Soka_." She said with a bit of shame. "Mertle can just be a real—"

"Stitch understand," he said, patting her arm. She leaned back.

"Yeah, Keoni and I are _boochie-boos_. And guess what?"

"_Gaba_?"

"Mertle's jealous."

"Oh…_ileka_." Lilo smiled. "Mertle big meanie in other universe also."

"_Whoa_, no way?" Lilo said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not surprised that Mertle's lovely personality can stretch across alternate realities." Lilo tapped her cup against the table. "Is little-me with Keoni too?"

"_Naga_; Lilo try but…"

"It's probably better that way. It doesn't help me that the heart-throb of Kauai has been with the defect of the world nearly all her life. It sets up this friction with more important and capable people—like Mertle."

"Stitch sorry."

"It's okay. The only reason it's so bad now is because my birthday was yesterday. Everyone and their grandma knows that Keoni hasn't been near me very much lately, so they jump to us having problems."

"Stitch know Lilo and Keoni _oketaka_."

"Well…truth is, I'm the one that's avoiding him…" Stitch's ears drooped.

"_Gabita_?"

"Keep pressure off him. The skateboarding match is really important to him, so I'm trying to keep him focused. I didn't allow him to get me a present and even though he really wants to take me to the school dance tomorrow night…I don't think I'm going to go. I never go to those things…" Stitch frowned.

"_Naga_ present?" She shook her head. "_Naga _party, _naga _dance, _naga _celebrate?"

"We had a quiet night at the beach right before you landed. There was a party but, I don't go to those, so we stayed in the back."

"_Isa naga _fair. Lilo deserve present and celebrate." Stitch said, pounding his fist on the table.

"It's no big deal," she said, resting the straw against her lip. "It's not like I'm gonna eat myself to a thousand pounds over it. But I do want to take a big gulp of this smoothie."

"To Lilo," Stitch said, holding his smoothie in the air. She blinked, confused at first, and then smiled, tapping her cup against his. They drank a gulp, and Lilo ended up clasping her hand against her forehead. "What wrong?"

"Ah…nothing just a brain-freeze," She squinted her eyes and started rubbing her scalp. "Jeez," she said, opening her eyes, "I finally get a drink outta this thing and it wants to—" She blinked; in the distance, a short yellow figure with something red on its face stood behind a tree in the distance. It held something in its hand that started to glow.

"Lilo?" The glow brightened quickly; Lilo reacted on impulse. Stitch lost his smoothie as Lilo grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him forward; the chair where he sat erupted in a flash, and flew six yards into the air, crashing onto the street.


End file.
